An Innovative Solution to Bad Behavior: Reverse Suspensions
Parents listen up! One middle school in West Virginia just created an alternative to traditional school suspensions for students. Administrators at Huntington East Middle School introduced a new disciplinary response to bad behavior that seems to be working. You won’t believe what it is. For non-violent, non-verbally abusive behavior, the school handles the poor behavior…
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Five Steps to Develop Effective Communication
I’ll never forget hearing Zig Ziglar speak at a conference, back in 1978. It was my freshman year of college and he quickly became my role model for memorable communication. Zig was a salesman by training, and boy could he sell an idea. He became a best-selling author of several books, helping people build confidence,…
Continue ReadingQuality Time or Quantity Time with Your Kids?
Earlier this month, the ABC network aired a special called “ScreenTime” hosted by Diane Sawyer. For six months, Sawyer and her team toured the U.S. talking to doctors, families, teachers and tech insiders in pursuit of answers to questions about how our smart phones are affecting us. What they discovered may not surprise you: Today,…
Continue ReadingLeadership Lessons from Three Heroes at a School Shooting
Can you believe it? Another school shooting took place last week. Although youth violence has gone down over the last three decades, we still hear of too many tragic episodes like the one that took place just 20 minutes from my former home, in Highlands Ranch, Colorado (just south of Denver). The school is just…
Continue ReadingWhen Is it Right For a Teacher to Lecture?
I have two distinct memories in my childhood of being “lectured” by an adult. The first was my girlfriend’s mother, after I disobeyed her curfew as a teen. I knew better, but I tested the boundaries by returning her daughter after our date 10 minutes after the curfew. I had a great time on the…
Continue ReadingWhat We Can Learn About Leading Students from Instagram
Angela is in the sixth grade. Her parents have chosen to not purchase a smart phone for her yet, because they see the anxiety social media platforms cause Angela’s peers. When my teammate Andrew McPeak asked her if she wishes she had a phone, her response was insightful. She said, “No. I wish my friends…
Continue ReadingFive Ingredients to Build a Culture of Ownership on Your Campus
When Akbar Cook took over Westside High School in Newark, NJ, it was a mess. Students were divided into cliques that never interacted; teachers did their work in silos; and an attitude of distrust prevailed on the campus. Further, it was a low-income area, with 85 percent of the student body chronically missing school. He…
Continue ReadingSix Steps to Help Young Team Members Manage Expectations
As Generation Z moves from school to career, many of them enter their first job with different expectations than those of their employers. They want to move up the organizational chart faster than their manager believes they are ready for that move. “More than 75% of Gen Z members believe they should be promoted in…
Continue ReadingWhat to Do with a Distracted Generation
Eleven years ago, I remember speaking to a large auditorium of university students. Social media had just arrived on the scene, so students were becoming distracted by their smart phones. As I stood to the side of the auditorium, I observed students reading magazines, staring down at their phones, or relaxed with their eyes closed…
Continue Reading14 Skills Your Kids Should Have Before Moving Out
Both of my children moved out of the house when they went off to college. I was proud of them for managing life on their own. On the other hand, at one point during their twenties, both of my adult children moved back home at a point of transition. “Adulting” is now an official term,…
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